Versatility is the name of today's NBA game. But the San Antonio Spurs may find out that the very chic term, ‘position-less basketball,' isn't synonymous with multi-dimensional players finding success in different spots. The team started 6'8, 230 lb Jeremy Sochan as their ‘point guard' in the season opener. What fans saw was a Spurs offense that hummed to the tune of 43 points in the first quarter but slowed down to 48 points combined over the next two periods.
“Is Wemby going to be a 5? Is he going to be a 4? Is he going to be a 3? Is he going to play alongside Zach (Collins)? Are we going to put him in the post, not? Is he perimeter player? What is he? Who does he fit best with out there? What should the rotations be; a lot of cool questions that we'll get to answer,” head coach Gregg Popovich said.
That is how Popovich answered a question about his point guard situation outside of Tre Jones, who is the only player in the team's expected rotation that fits the mold of a traditional point guard. Note that Pop didn't answer the question directly and instead focused on how pieces will fit around the biggest prospect – figuratively, as well as literally – the NBA has seen since LeBron James.
Both the Hall of Fame coach and Victor Wembanyama have even alluded to the rookie playing some point guard. The 19-year-old French star was among several young Spurs who brought the ball up on occasion in the 123-116 loss to the Mavericks.
Who plays point?
With a starting line-up that included Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson alongside the aforementioned Wemby, Collins and Sochan, whom came closest to being slotted at point guard, it was Vassell who had the ball in his hands most when the Spurs settled into the half court offense. Sets ran through the fourth-year wing out of Florida State and he scored a team high 23 on Wednesday night. But it was Sochan and Keldon Johnson who shared the majority of facilitating duties.
Following Friday's shoot around, Johnson mentioned that a new role is something he's prepared himself for.
“I'm very comfortable handing the ball. It's definitely something I worked on this summer. If I need to bring the ball up the court, I will,” Johnson said.
An elder statesmen of the Spurs young staples, the fifth-year forward played center at times last season when he led the team in scoring at 22 points per game. He's spent the overwhelming majority of his career at forward. Johnson's six assists led the team on Wednesday and his 17 points ranked second on the club.
Tre Jones saw the court plenty in the loss to Dallas. His 25 minutes proved two more than the 23 Wembanyama logged because of foul trouble. Last year's Spurs starting point guard dished out six assists and put in 16 points – numbers very similar to Johnson.
The Spurs will next take on the Rockets. The starting line-up may give an indication of where Popovich stands. Another starting unit of Sochan, Vassell, Johnson, Collins and Wembanyama, tells us the tenured Pop wants to see what these five can do with a point guard by committee approach. A change, say, one that includes Jones among the first five, would serve notice already that this may be an experiment not worth exploring.
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